Free Masonry - The Masonic Trowel

334 FREE MASONRY THE TOOL OF THE ILLUMINEES.
The flluminees were a hateful race of demoralizing philosophers,
who sought the entire abolition of every form of
government, religion, and civil polity ; who aimed, under the
delusive hope of an Age of Reason, to reduce man to the
primitive state of lawless simplicity,' when each father
should, like Abraham and the Patriarchs, become the priest
and absolute sovereign of his own family, and reason be
the only book of laws, the sole, code of man. 9 —What has
Free Masonry to do with them?"
Not so much, gentle reader, as they had to do with Free
Masonry. They wanted a cloak to cover their schemes;
"For," say they, "in secrecy our strength principally lies.
On this account we should always conceal ourselves under
the qame of some other association. The inferior lodges
of Free Masonry are the most convenient cloaks for our
grand object; [why ?] because the world is already familiarized
with the idea that nothing of importance, or worthy
of attention, can spring from Masonry." Free Mason*
ry was their chosen servant, and this will not recommend
her as an inmate to the mansions of tfie just
The chiefs were learned men, practised in the ways of
the world, and possessed infernal cunning beyond compare.
They chose their measures with much foresight, and prosecuted
them with singular address. They studied Free
Masonry, what it was;.they.proved its convenience by a
free use. Their knights swore, among other things," to
labour at rendering die ancient Free Masonry triumphant
over the false systems which have crept into it"—" I will
dedicate my life to the discovery of the true religion and
teal doctrines of Free Masonry, and I will impart my discoveries
to my superiors." (B. p. 84.) And a part of the
knight's duty was to obtain the control of the masonic
lodges. " In every town of any note situated within their
district, the secret chapters shall establish lodges for the
three ordinary degrees, and shall cause men of sound morals,
of good repute, and of easy circumstances, to be received
into the lodges. Such men are much to be sought